Our Venue Search Has Ended

Selecting a venue to have your wedding and reception can be a daunting task. I was worried that our tastes would clash and we would struggle to find something that was “us.” Boy, was I wrong!

We knew immediately we were going to have the ceremony on the beach. We knew which beach and what exact spot (over time we have kind of had a “place” on the beach that we would always hang out at). So, now that we knew where the ceremony was….we had to pick a reception venue.

I honestly had no idea where to have it. I Googled a few things and browsed some prices. Nothing really stuck. I had no idea my venue even existed before I started using Wedding Wire to find beach reception sites. And, wouldn’t you know it, we found a venue that is directly across the street from the site I wanted to hold the ceremony. Talk about great luck!

The Sailing Center is a sailboat marina that has an upstairs room and deck available for rental. It overlooks the inter-coastal waterway and has very little rules. Since we are obviously working with a budget, picking a venue that allows outside catering is very important. Not only are we able to bring any kind of food we desire, but we are also allowed to do whatever we choose as far as alcohol. We could hire outside catering for booze or we could simply bring our own and supply kegs. That’s what I’m talking about! We can go more in detail with catering versus doing it yourself later, but let’s take a quick peek at my venue.

In this picture you can see a large inside room that would be used for eating, a faux photo booth and cake cutting. Someone was getting ready for a wedding reception when I was visiting, so their tables were outside. I would actually change it up and keep the deck empty for a dance party.

This is the other view of the deck. It was recently expanded and can fit up to 200 people.

Here is a view of what our venue is famous for. It’s beautiful! Our guests will get to watch the sunset at our ceremony across the street at the beach, and everyone will get to enjoy dusk right here.

I am pleased to say we only visited one possible site and booked it that very week!

Budget: $1050 to rent the reception venue for six hours; $200 for a permit to hold a wedding on the beach.

Tip: Our venue raised its prices on August 1st of this year. We booked in July when we knew we wanted it. If you have a strong feeling about something, book it as soon as you can! It seems that vendors in my area are raising their prices for a variety of reasons (Maybe to stay afloat in these bad times? Or, they are becoming so popular they see it as a way to make more money?), and you don’t want to pay more for something just because you waited.